


That's Captain to you, Captain

by Pumpkinnubbin



Series: AU-Central [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Maria is a navy captain, Natasha is a pirate, Pirate AU, lots of swearing, pirates of the caribbean inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-10-01 19:58:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pumpkinnubbin/pseuds/Pumpkinnubbin
Summary: Natasha is a feared pirate. Maria is a royal navy captain determined to catch her. She doesn't expect to be caught in her bed, over and over again. Nor do either of them expect to fall for the other.Or: the pirate au you didn't know you wanted





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This took me forever to finish and I don't know if it's pirate-y enough. Big shoutouts to TeslaTwin for suggesting this, helping me with feedback and proof reading and overall just being my awesome best friend. Now with hopefully all mistakes taken care of.

Natasha Romanoff is easily the most well-known and feared pirate the seas have to offer. It’s partly due to the fact that she’s openly a woman, and partly her ruthlessness. She’s proud of it, especially because most pirates around are men and she stands out among them; she exceeds them. She has a reputation that precedes her and even though it does exaggerate on a few accounts, Natasha enjoys living up to it. She enjoys the plunder and the ship battles, treasures and gold, and she especially enjoys watching the royal navy try to catch her. Her ship, the Black Widow, is faster than any other vessel on the seas.

Natasha herself is smart enough to avoid detection when they dock anywhere to stock up on rations and medicine. It’s not always easy considering the color of her hair but she hides it underneath some cloth if they are anywhere where it’s needed. That’s usually exclusive to port towns with a heavy navy presence, like Port Royal. Sometimes she’s feeling bold though and foregoes subtlety. Her crew is a lot luckier regarding that. They’re all women and their faces are mostly unknown to people and officers alike, so they’re free to roam the towns and secure supplies. The Black Widow itself is fairly well-known too but most dock workers are too afraid, or in some cases grateful, to say anything. The couple of times the navy has managed to secure her ship, Natasha simply stole it right back from under their noses.

She’s been in this life for as long as she can remember. Her foster father was a pirate and, having had little choice, raised her on board his ship. When he died, Natasha left to start her own pirate band. She got her hands on a better ship and an all-female crew and went from there. Natasha is nothing if not resilient and resourceful. She’s evaded capture ever since rising to any semblance of fame just five years ago. The seas are hers and she dares anyone to claim differently.

It comes as no real surprise when they dock in a remote port town on some insignificant island and the royal navy is practically everywhere. It’s the only port for too many sea miles and makes the perfect pit stop for all seafarers.

Natasha’s crew leaves to get rations and enjoy some time on land while Natasha checks the area, curious about all the navy officers. She shouldn’t, she knows, but it’s always good to know how dangerous things might get. This isn’t one of the ports where she feels the need to hide herself. It’s dangerous though, sometimes, because people are quick to shout witch at the sight of her hair. They do know her on this island though. This isn’t her first visit. The people here learned not to make her angry the first time, when she’s slaughtered half their angry mob. They are no longer stupid, nor brave enough to say anything. She gets rations for practically free now. The angry mob aside, Natasha is friendly enough with most of the locals. That is because she isn’t a _bad_ _person_, despite being a pirate. There are things she has no tolerance for and it’s made her popular with many women here. She’s saved one from being raped once, and she’s killed another man for beating his children. Her moral compass is skewed but occasionally it does exist.

Maria hates pirates. She’s lost her father to them and she’s wanted to do something about them ever since. She may not have been close to her father but he’d been the only family she’s had. The only problem is that she is a woman and women aren’t allowed onto ships. Maria is smart though and she’s found a way around it years ago. She’s heard rumors that some women hide their gender to become pirates and so that’s exactly what she’s done. She’s been with the royal navy for years now and she’s risen to the rank of Captain just a few months ago. Hiding her gender is surprisingly easy. She’s cut her hair short before joining, and she’s tall anyway. Her sharp edges help and her breasts are small enough to be easily concealed. Even her voice is just the right tone with just the right edge that nobody asks questions. She barely has to work for it.

Natasha heads to the tavern in town for drinks and takes in the group of officers at one of the tables. They look young, the lot of them, mostly around her age. Natasha is admittedly intrigued by one of them. Maria looks up when she feels eyes on her and meets Natasha’s across the room. They both pause for a moment. Something about those blue eyes has Natasha’s mind whirling, and Maria in turn takes in the red hair. Natasha smirks. Maria recognizes her from somewhere but she can’t place her right away. The smirk does little to help with that. There’s a puzzle to be solved here but Natasha doesn’t give her the time. She cuts her visit short. She downs her drink and then leaves without bothering to pay. Her drinks here are always free; that’s why she keeps coming back.

She considers going back to the Black Widow but thinks better of it. It’s only a matter of time before the officers follow her. She can’t bring the fight to her ship, or her crew. Maria and her men catch up to her not a minute later and Natasha isn’t surprised whatsoever. She grins to herself. This is the most fun she’s had all month. She runs from them and leads them to the outskirts of town. Maria has her gun out and her men are already shooting at Natasha. She just keeps smiling at the scowl on Maria’s face and never stops running. Not a single one of their shots land, luckily, but she does end up cornered. She likes that too. Maria growls when she realizes. She really does hate pirates.

“I am Captain Hill of the royal navy and you’re under arrest, Romanoff,” Maria says loudly.

Natasha’s mind is still running but now her curiosity really is piqued. She can’t tell whether she’s facing a man or a woman. She’s interested. There’s only one way to find out. Natasha smirks because her questions aside, it’s nice to have a name to go with the face. She won’t soon be forgetting Maria.

“That’s Captain Romanoff to you, Captain,” Natasha purrs.

Maria’s men take to the offensive but they’ve already wasted all their ammo. Natasha counted. The only one with any left is Maria. Natasha pulls out her sword to deal with the men and she’s pleased to see that Maria stashes her gun in favor of drawing her own sword. Maria is a woman of honor, even when she’s facing a pirate.

“I really think we ought to wager on this.”

“You’re hopelessly outnumbered, Romanoff.”

Natasha smirks at that and Maria pauses. She knows pirates are terribly cocky and proud. She’s taken enough of them to jail to recognize it now with Natasha. Natasha’s confidence is different. She’s outnumbered but not outmatched. Maria doesn’t have enough time to warn her men to be careful. They come at Natasha and the redhead weaves through them like it’s nothing. There’s five of them, not too many but enough to be troublesome. Natasha is an excellent swordfighter and she keeps up easily. She meets their blades with hers, deflecting and defending, then uses their distraction to kick at knees and groins, or to slice through their flesh. She disarms them like it’s nothing and Maria can’t do anything but watch. It takes less than five minutes for Natasha to deal with all of them. Half of them are dead, the rest gravely wounded. Maria is the only one left.

“What…”

Natasha steps over the bodies and steals a couple of guns and swords and then she’s on Maria before the brunette can even blink. Maria isn’t prepared for an approach this bold and she fails to find her footing to steady herself. She tumbles and falls under Natasha’s weight and lands flat on her back. She grunts at the impact, the wind knocked out of her. Her blade cuts into Natasha’s leg and Natasha makes a mental note to get that checked out before they go back out onto the sea. She holds her blade to Maria’s throat and the gun in her other hand against her abdomen, effectively keeping Maria pinned to the ground with her body and the threat of injury. Maria stills beneath her. She curses. This isn’t how she wants to die.

Natasha observes her closely. She takes in the body beneath her; the lithe but muscular form and the barely present rise of breasts beneath the Captain’s uniform. It’s hard to make out like this but she moves the gun up and confirms it for herself. Even now it’s barely obvious but Natasha is sure of it now. That aside, Natasha has been atop enough men and women to tell the difference in body types that are unique to either gender. She grins. Maria _is_ a woman and Natasha is even more interested. There is still fight in the woman and it makes Natasha smile a little brighter. She likes her. She leans down until she’s practically in her face and notes the way her body tenses beneath her even more. She knows exactly what is on Maria’s mind.

“You’re not dying here today. I’m having far too much fun with you to kill you already. Keep coming after me, Captain.”

“I’m not here for your entertainment,” Maria growls.

Natasha’s lips tick into another smirk. It’s no surprise Maria has made it this far with that much bite.

“We’ll see about that.”

Natasha slides the blade along the skin of Maria’s throat without ever drawing blood until it rests just on the underside of her chin. It forces Maria to crane her neck and Natasha licks her lips at the sight. She wouldn’t mind sinking her teeth into that jawline. Maria growls again, frustrated, and drops her sword so she can grab Natasha’s legs. She attempts to throw her off, sharp edges against her skin be damned. Natasha laughs and gets off her, kicking the sword away. She goes to grab the weapons she’s stolen and stashes them into her belt. She stares down at Maria.

“Keep chasing me.”

Then she finally does run off to get back to her ship. She shouldn’t stay much longer. Hopefully one of her girls managed to secure some medical supplies so she can get her leg taken care of. There’s no way she’ll have enough time to justify risking a stop by the local doctor. It’s risky either way. And infection on the open sea will kill her.

She has managed to avoid any further detection by the remaining navy officers in town and it’s sheer luck that nobody has laid a finger on her ship. Her crew is ready to leave when she finally makes it there and she barks a few order before letting her ship’s surgeon tend to her cut. They set sail and Natasha wonders when she’ll see Maria again. She’s sure that she will. Maria is ambitious and Natasha gets the feeling she’ll want payback for beating her. She’s looking forward to watching her try.

* * *

Natasha is out on the sea for two months. They’ve come across one naval fleet ship during that time and boarded it for their supplies and any gold they might have. It allows them to stay on the water for longer before needing to head for land. They’ve done the same to a dozen of other ships they’ve encountered. There were a few trading ships with valuable goods and food, as well as a handful of pirate ships. They even came across a few civilian vessels. They robbed those but left everyone on board alive as long as they cooperated. Natasha doesn’t much care to kill civilians. Her crew knows better than to try. It’s fun to be out on the sea for this long. It makes Natasha feel free and powerful. She rules these waters and there’s nothing quite like it.

“Captain, looks we have another fleet ship on our starboard.”

Natasha looks out that way and hums in agreement. Indeed they do. She still hopes to encounter Maria but the odds of that are low. The last one didn’t have her on board. Natasha isn’t _trying_ to find her but she’s excited at the idea of it.

“Let’s board them. Get ready to approach and return fire.”

The approach goes smoothly. Her crew works like a well-oiled machine and she doesn’t need to give any more orders. They approach the ship without taking any significant damage and block their escape route. Natasha joins the fray when they start boarding the ship and she immediately notices a dozen of the navy officers step away from her. They’re fresh recruits and still genuinely scared of her; with good reason. Sadly, they also don’t have much of a choice in the matter of facing her. They’re going to have to eventually. Cowardice is not a trait that goes well with being in the royal navy. Once their Captain shouts at them to attack her, they do. She fends them off fairly easily but there are a lot of them and they’re decently well-coordinated. Natasha ends up getting help from her crew and even though they are much smaller in number, they gain the upper hand quickly. Natasha cuts down men left and right. She’s in her element here; fighting and proving she’s just as dangerous as everyone says. She loves the rush. She leaves the group of men to her girls and goes after the Captain.

“Romanoff…”

Natasha smirks and steps closer to him. He readies his sword and Natasha lifts hers.

“I’m looking for Captain Hill,” she says casually.

He glares at her and refuses to reply. He goes for the offensive instead in hopes of catching her off guard. Natasha just laughs and fights him. He’s skilled and an actual challenge and he almost gets Natasha a handful of times. She’s nimbler and small enough that most men don’t know how to fight her. He’s no exception to that. She dodges a swipe and ends the fight early by stabbing him in the heart. It’s over far too quickly. Natasha shouts over the sounds of swords clashing to inform the ship that its Captain is dead.

The remaining men on board start surrendering once they realize what she’s saying. The girls horde them to the back of the deck and Natasha joins them.

“Which one of you is in charge now?”

It takes several seconds but then a man raises his hand. He’s scrawny for a sailor and too young to take command but Natasha isn’t one to judge.

“Do you know Captain Hill?”

He’s surprised but nods. Most of them know her. She has a reputation and it’s evident that most of them don’t like her. It’s also clearly not the question any of them have expected.

“Do you know where Hill is?”

It becomes even more apparent to Natasha now that very few of these men hold any respect for Maria. She’s still a fellow member of the royal navy though so none of them say anything. Natasha respects that, but that won’t do. She steps closer and grabs her gun.

“I’ll make it easier for you,” she says, “You tell me what you know or I’ll start killing your men.”

Still nothing comes for too long a time so Natasha kills one of them. That shakes the new Captain out of it and he looks at her quickly.

“Stop! He’s in Port Royal, I think. All I heard was that he lost some of his men to a pirate and was taken there.”

Natasha nods. That’s good enough. Part of her still wants to kill at least some of them but she is, mostly, a woman of her words. He has given her something useful so she won’t. She does shoot two more men in the leg though. They looked the most like they’d wanted to give up Maria and Natasha doesn’t like that. She does, however, love a little payback. They tie the men up and then leave the ship after ransacking all they could.

* * *

Port Royal is, coincidentally, not entirely unreasonable to dock at next. It’s a couple of days away and they are running low on rations. Natasha thinks it’s high time they enjoy some land and some company. The royal navy has its own port here so setting anchor isn’t as obvious and dangerous as it is in other places. They should be relatively safe for the time being. It is entirely stupid to come here looking for a navy Captain and Natasha is well aware of it. She doesn’t care. Maria has been the most fun she’s had in a long time and she really is curious about the woman. Natasha is always up for being this side of reckless.

It takes two days for Natasha to find Maria. It’s by pure chance. It’s late and they happen upon the same tavern by the port. Natasha hides herself here because she isn’t _that_ reckless. Maria is already a few glasses in when Natasha slides into the empty stool next to her. She orders a drink and Maria tenses immediately. It’s been months since their first and only interaction but she still recognizes the voice. She doesn’t think she’ll ever forget it. It’s unique. Natasha speaks up first but keeps her voice low and quiet.

“Are you going to try to arrest me again?”

“Fuck off.”

Natasha laughs and downs her drink in one go. There’s a scowl on Maria’s face but she’s already a little past tipsy and her patience is wearing thin. Natasha puts her hand on her leg and inches it up her thigh ever so slightly. Maria freezes for a moment. She covers it up with a glare and swats the hand away. Natasha notices the twitch in her muscle before her hand is removed and she also takes note of the way Maria’s pupils dilate momentarily.

“It took you too long to chase after me. I thought I’d turn it around,” Natasha smirks.

Maria frowns and orders some water. She should arrest Natasha. She’s in no condition to even try.

“You found me, now fuck off and let me drink in peace.”

“I have better drinks on board the Black Widow.”

The words barely register at first but when they do, they make Maria laugh. The sound comes out as more of a bark than anything though.

“How much trouble did you get in for losing your men to me?”

Maria grabs her glass so tight that Natasha wonders if it’ll break.

“Shut up.”

“Why don’t you make me?”

Maria is fast. Her fist just barely misses Natasha’s face because of the alcohol in her system but the kick she aims at her ribs does connect. It makes Natasha wince and stumble off her stool. It also starts an all-out brawl in the entire tavern and Natasha ends up having to dodge more than just Maria. Someone stumbles into Maria which makes her crash into the bar. She’s back on her feet quickly and looks for Natasha. There’s chaos all around so it’s difficult to make sense of everything. She finds her and goes for her again. Natasha barely fights back. She trips her once but doesn’t do much more than that. Natasha eventually finds another opening and grabs Maria, then drags her outside. They stumble through a few more people fighting on the way but make it outside without taking any punches or bottles to the face. Maria pushes her away as soon as they’re outside and lunges at her. Natasha just laughs and sidesteps the attempt. She isn’t drunk, unlike Maria, though the latter has sobered up by now. Natasha grabs her wrist and pulls her arm behind her back to still her. It’s so late that there is barely anyone left outside anymore and the brawl is still occupying the tavern. She drags them somewhere darker anyway.

“You’re never going to win against me, Captain.”

“Fuck you, Romanoff. Our last encounter almost cost me that, you asshole.”

It’s funny that Natasha can keep her still so easily. Maria is taller and stronger than her. Natasha barely reaches her shoulder. It should be much more difficult. It helps that Maria is still tipsy.

“How does a bottle of the best whiskey this side of Tortuga sound?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Natasha just laughs against her and Maria makes a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. Natasha keeps laughing at her and Maria hates it.

“There are better thing to do than get drunk alone in the shittiest tavern in town.”

“Getting drunk on a pirate ship is much worse.”

“I do have better drinks. And I’ll happily tell you how I found you.”

“Shut up, damnit.”

“Want to punch me again?”

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” Maria asks instead.

Natasha lets go of her and pushes her into the ground much like last time. She grins and says nothing. She walks away instead, towards the Black Widow. She’s confident Maria will follow. This is another one of Natasha’s stupid ideas; inviting a royal navy Captain onto her ship. Maria stares after her. She’s sobered up even more now and her pride pushes her onto her feet.

Natasha makes it all the way to her ship before Maria catches up with her. Maria glares at the smirk Natasha gives her but follows her onto her deck. Natasha leads the way to her personal quarters and immediately goes for her best bottle of whiskey; stolen from traders. Maria stands tall and proud but she’s ready to run. She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t be accepting drinks from the most notorious pirate in the world.

“What the fuck am I doing…”

“You’re not a Captain tonight, Hill, and I’m not a pirate tonight.”

Maria shakes her head but she still takes the offered cup of whiskey. She takes a sip of it and moans. It really is good.

“Shit, this is good.”

Natasha smirks. Of course it is. She doesn’t keep the cheap stuff in her quarter.

They drink together until the bottle is empty and they’re both beyond tipsy. Natasha doesn’t tell her how she found her. It’s difficult to even focus when she can’t be sure which of the three Maria’s sitting on her desk is the real one. A few blinks fix that particular issue and she’s back to seeing just one.

“How’d you end up in the royal navy?”

“Long story,” is all Maria offers as an answer.

Natasha wants to drag the answer out of her. She’s curious. She doesn’t doubt her skill but it can’t be easy constantly having to hide.

“I know your secret,” Natasha smirks.

Maria’s gaze snaps to Natasha’s and she has to blink away the sudden dizziness. Natasha thinks the fact that Maria is a woman is one of the reasons she wants her to chase her. They’re two powerful women in a world full of men and she just wants Maria to succeed.

“I-”

Natasha steps closer on surprisingly steady feet and puts her cup down on the desk next to her.

“I really want to fuck you,” Natasha tells her.

Maria flushes a little but she’ll blame that on the alcohol later. There are too many things to take in right now. Her brain can’t keep up. A lopsided smirk tugs at her lips and there’s a challenge in her eyes. She doesn’t want to think about any of this right now. She doesn’t need to either. Natasha just wants her more for it. Natasha grabs her by the collar of her uniform and pulls her down so she can press her lips against hers. The kiss is sloppy and rough, with teeth and tongue. There’s biting from both of them and Maria no longer thinks before she acts. She cups Natasha’s cheeks and pulls her closer to her. She really is quite a bit smaller. They kiss hungrily for what feels like hours before the need for oxygen forces them apart. Maria gets off the desk while Natasha works on the buttons of her uniform jacket. It’s dealt with quickly and they both strip out of the rest of their clothes; Natasha sheds her coat and frees her hair just as Maria steps out of her clothes. Natasha takes the moment to look at her and smirks. Maria is gorgeous. Natasha is too and Maria eyes her hungrily. She’s still frustrated about everything. She covers the distance between them again to kiss her, and Natasha fingers at the cloth wrapped around Maria’s chest. She gets it off before she falls backwards onto her bed. Maria follows without ever needing to break the kiss, nor taking a moment to acknowledge the change. Natasha runs her fingers over her skin and digs into it a few times when Maria bites at her lip. She flips them over so she’s on top again and grins down at her.

“I really liked the sight the first time. It’s even better this time.”

Maria’s hands are on her, touching and scratching. Natasha purrs her approval. She scrapes her nails up her throat lightly, following the same path she’d made with her sword the first time they met. It makes Maria crane her neck again in the exact same way and this time Natasha does sink her teeth into her jawline. Maria moans and tightens her hold on her, squirming a little. Natasha purrs against her and then licks the angry mark she’s left.

“Fuck…”

Natasha smirks and bites her neck, letting her fingers roam over her body. She likes the way it makes her body twitch. She notices a slight blush on Maria’s cheeks when she pulls back enough to look at her. That makes her smirk too.

“Don’t tell me I’m your first,” Natasha teases, dipping her fingers between Maria’s legs.

She’s wet. Maria growls at her, embarrassed.

“You’re not,” Maria growls back.

It’s true, to an extent. Natasha isn’t her first but she’s never so much as kissed another woman before. On the rare occasions she does get with anyone, it’s outside of her uniform and without the title of Captain. She can’t have anyone find out after all.

Natasha just grins and slides her fingers into her and Maria gasps. Natasha shifts so she can fuck her properly, watching every one of her reactions. She has no idea how much either of them will remember in the morning but right now she just wants to have some fun. Watching Maria squirm and trying to hide her moans is definitely fun, and it turns Natasha on more than anything else has in a while. She leans down to bite at her again, scraping her teeth over her nipple before biting down, gentler than before. This time Maria doesn’t manage to keep the sound she makes in. She moves her leg and Natasha takes the opportunity to settle between them more easily. Maria eventually winds her fingers into her red hair and tugs harshly whenever Natasha’s finger hits the perfect spot inside her. Natasha moans when she does. She likes that. She pushes another finger into her and ups the pace.

It’s entirely too soon when Maria comes, shaking and moaning, and Natasha still doesn’t stop. Maria tries to push her away with a whine and eventually Natasha relents. She pulls out of her and takes in the way Maria’s whole body is trembling. Maria pants and blushes involuntarily at the look Natasha gives her. She’s not used to being on the receiving end of one of those. She might be pretty but she hides her gender so much that most men don’t give her a second glance.

“You _are_ as much fun as I thought.”

Maria gets herself together and wills the blush from her cheeks. Natasha smirks. She crawls back over her and drags her still wet fingers over her skin. It makes Maria shiver and she pulls her into a kiss as soon as she can get away with it. Natasha wastes no time to push her tongue into her mouth and she drags another moan from the both of them. Maria’s hands finally start roaming over her body and Natasha makes an appreciative sound. They’re both too drunk for finesse and any exploration that Maria might want to do falls flat in favor of just touching every bit of skin she can reach. Natasha shifts enough to get one of Maria’s legs between hers and grinds herself against it. She’s horny; from the alcohol, from getting Maria off, even from the tavern brawl. Maria blushes at the action.

She may not have any experiences with women but she flips them over anyway. They both need a moment to orientate themselves and then Maria is nibbling at Natasha’s neck in much the same way Natasha has done to her. She moves her hand between Natasha’s legs. She’s dripping, and really, Natasha thinks, it’s not her fault. There’s a certain thrill that comes with fucking a royal navy Captain as a pirate. Maria pushes her fingers into her and Natasha lets out a long, deep moan. It sounds more like a guttural groan and it makes Maria weak in the knees. Natasha can’t even tell if there’s any uncertainty in her actions because Maria doesn’t wait to fuck into her hard and fast. It’s everything Natasha likes and needs. She digs her nails into her skin and leaves scratches down her back. Maria hisses into the kiss she starts but doesn’t pull away. Natasha is holding her so tightly she couldn’t anyway.

The curses that come out of Natasha’s mouth next aren’t in English and for a moment Maria is terribly confused. It throws her but not enough to stop her movements completely. She doesn’t believe in witches, exactly, but she does wonder for just a few seconds. Her brain is still all fuzzy from the alcohol and her orgasm and she’s never heard that language before.

Natasha doesn’t need long to come at all and she digs her fingers further into Maria’s shoulders as she shakes.

“Fuck.”

Maria watches with wide eyes. She is fascinated by the sight and she completely forgets to ask about whatever language Natasha’s just spoken. Natasha almost laughs when she notices. It’s her first time seeing another woman orgasm. It isn’t Natasha’s. She prefers the company of women over men, if only because she gets a thrill out of being most women’s first time with one. Sometimes even their first. She likes that. Men are much more boring in comparison but no less fun to sleep with.

“Oh, you are so much fun,” she repeats.

Maria finally remembers to pull out of her and she sits back on the bed once she has. She’s not entirely sure what to do with herself now. She’s still tingling all over and the scratches on her back and marks on her neck burn.

“Fuck!” Maria lets out when it finally sinks in what she’s just done.

Natasha smiles. She has never cared to begin with. Nobody is going to care that she’s slept with a Captain of the navy; at least none of her girls will. It’s a different story for said Captain to have slept with a pirate though, and not just any pirate either.

“You leave now and no one’s gonna know,” Natasha slurs.

It’s late enough that it’s unlikely anyone will see or recognize Maria.

“Fuck! Fuck you. I should arrest you,” Maria says and it isn’t a whine. It _isn’t_.

“Try it,” Natasha laughs drunkenly.

Maria doesn’t move. Natasha sits up again and crowds into her personal space, face inches from hers.

“I still want you to keep coming after me. There’s nobody in the navy who can catch me but I do love watching you try.”

“I’m not your fucking toy, Romanoff.”

Natasha laughs and shuffles closer still.

“I think you could get me if you tried long enough.”

Maria glares at her but Natasha just keeps on smirking. She isn’t sure who starts it this time but they’re kissing again the next moment.

“I hate you.”

Natasha falls back into her bed ungracefully and laughs. The room spins heavily and she’s far too drunk now to think straight anymore. Maria takes the opportunity to grab her clothes and gets dressed. She wants to hurry but that only makes her feel sick so she slows down a little. She says nothing when she’s finally dressed and leaves without another glance at Natasha. The redhead is just about ready to pass out from her alcohol consumption anyway.

They don’t see each other again before Natasha sets sail the next day. It’s a shame, really. Maria has been nothing but a great deal of fun, even when she was trying to punch her in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

They do encounter one another again a few times. There are a few skirmishes between the pirates and the naval fleet and Maria is on board a couple of ships they encounter over the weeks. The first one isn’t hers; she’s just part of the crew for the time being. The second is her own ship, with her own crew. Natasha always fights Maria herself. She doesn’t want any of her girls hurting her or getting hurt in return. Natasha likes seeing Maria’s progress. She’s a good fighter but she gets better every time they meet and there’s still an obvious amount of frustration in Maria. Natasha doesn’t know whether it stems from the sex or the fact that Natasha is still evading capture. It’s probably both.

Natasha doesn’t quite push her to her limits when they fight. She doesn’t want to kill Maria and there’s enough ways to wound her that could result in death if left untreated, so Natasha fights cautiously to avoid it. Maria picks up on it quickly and it only infuriates her more. It doesn’t help that she fights just as carefully. Neither of their crews notices. They fight at the helm of the ship, far away enough from the rest of their people. Natasha beats her every time. They don’t kill anyone on board once they start surrendering so they raid their supplies and gold and leave again. Natasha always smirks at Maria from aboard the Black Widow. It leaves Maria reeling in anger.

It’s rare that they meet on land. There are too many ports and it doesn’t happen often that they end up in the same places at the same time. Maria isn’t sure how it happens but whenever they do meet, she always ends up in Natasha’s bed. She blames it on the lack of good sex. At least Natasha never taunts her with it, though it is often taunts and drinks that get Maria there.

Over time, the encounters become less vicious but no less heated. Maria still tells her she hates her but it lacks the venom it had the first time. Natasha laughs it off every time. It’s all the same to Natasha. She doesn’t care whether or not this is hate sex. She’s never hated Maria; it’s her intrigue that’s made her want her so much in the first place.

Maria gets better with each time they fuck. Natasha tells her one night and it’s the first time she hears her genuinely laugh. It’s nice. She tells her that too, with a purr to her voice that has Maria reaching for her to bury her fingers inside her. It’s Natasha’s turn to laugh as she rides her fingers until she comes for the fourth time that night.

* * *

It’s a whole month before they meet next. Natasha and her crew are in Tortuga when news of a washed up sailor reaches her. It happens every so often so it’s hardly the most surprising news but still Natasha goes to check it out. She’s not prepared to find Maria there, drenched and just barely alive by the looks of it. She’s still half lying on a plank of wood. Natasha pushes past the crowd and everyone makes way for her. She may be small but nobody wants to stand in Natasha’s way. She pulls Maria onto the sand and checks her breathing. It’s faint but it’s there. Her uniform is torn up but other than that, she looks mostly uninjured. One of her girls catches up with her and Natasha has her help. She can’t carry Maria on her own. They bring her on board the Black Widow and into Natasha’s quarters. Nobody asks any questions and nobody tries to stop her. Natasha leaves her in Wanda’s capable hands with a warning regarding Maria’s gender. It goes without saying that Wanda will take that secret with her to the grave. Natasha waits until Wanda is done and then she continues waiting for Maria to wake up. She’s on edge. She feels antsy. Maria has to be okay.

It takes another few hours before Maria stirs and she coughs violently before sitting up suddenly. It eases the pressure she feels on her chest but makes her headache worse. Natasha puts her hand on her shoulder.

“Where am I?”

“Tortuga. Also my quarters. They found you washed up at the shore. We brought you here to make sure you weren’t going to die; or found out.”

“You… Why?”

It makes Maria’s head hurt even more and she’s too out of it to think.

“Who else is going to catch me?” Natasha shrugs.

Maria coughs a few more times and then lies back down. She’s exhausted.

“What happened?” Natasha asks.

“Pirates. They sank our ship. I don’t know if anyone else made it.”

Natasha frowns at the feeling in her chest. She can’t place it and it’s worse now than it was before Maria woke up. She’s angry that someone almost killed her. She doesn’t understand why though.

“Do you know who?”

“No,” Maria says, shaking her head slowly.

She didn’t get a good look and then she’s been too busy trying to survive.

“Get some rest.”

Maria nods. She’s too tired to argue, and she’s too tired to think about this. Natasha decides to watch over her. She’s relieved that Maria is fine but she plans to find the pirates who’ve done this and kill them. Maria falls asleep quickly. Natasha stays awake all night.

When Maria wakes up, she barely remembers where she is. She recognizes Natasha’s quarters when she sits up to look around. Natasha is at her desk, looking as tired as Maria feels.

“Natasha?”

“You’re awake. How much do you remember?”

Maria blinks, trying to make sense of things through the pounding in her head. She doesn’t like what she recalls.

“My ship sank. You said I washed up on Tortuga, and that you brought me to your ship.”

Natasha nods and stands up. Maria is pale and she hates the expression on her face.

“Good. You shouldn’t be outside here. Navy Captains aren’t very welcome in Tortuga. We can take you somewhere else so you can get back to them.”

“I don’t understand you. Why would you go out of your way to help me?”

Natasha just shrugs. She doesn’t quite understand it herself but she doesn’t think she’d tell her even if she did.

“I don’t even know your name.”

Maria looks at her. It takes her a moment to realize that during all of their encounters, she’s never once shared her name; not even the fake one she uses within the navy.

“Maria.”

“Maria. Where do you want us to take you?”

“Port Royal.”

Natasha narrows her eyes for a moment but nods. This could well be a trap but Maria looks genuinely lost and in no state to be scheming. She’s a woman of honor. She wouldn’t do something so backhanded to the person who saved her life. They can go to Port Royal, drop her off, and immediately set sail again.

It takes a week to sail to Port Royal while evading all navy ships on the way. Maria spends the whole time in Natasha’s quarters. They fuck once, the night before they reach port and something feels different between them. Maria doesn’t know what it is and Natasha doesn’t want to think about it.

They drop Maria off in Port Royal and sail off again to get to the sea. Nobody mentions anything about it to Natasha and she’s glad that Wanda not only keeps the secret to herself, but doesn’t so much as give her a questioning look. She’s a good kid.

They encounter a few pirates and Natasha takes down the ones who brag about sinking navy ships. She wouldn’t, normally, but no one gets to touch Maria; not anymore. It doesn’t matter which one of the bands actually did it. She just gets all of them.

* * *

Between the plunders with her crew and the killing of all men who continue to stand in their way, Natasha finds herself thinking about Maria. Being a pirate is anything but boring but Maria has added something more into her life. It’s been a year now since they first met. It’s been almost two months since Natasha’s dropped her off in Port Royal.

Natasha doesn’t stay on land more than before but she does take every opportunity to discover Maria’s whereabouts in an attempt to see her. Her girls know better than to say anything. It’s been a while since the royal navy Captain has been on board but they all know it’s happened. It doesn’t matter because they trust their Captain.

She gets frustrated when she can’t find Maria. The seas are vast and they roam all over the place so getting to the same towns or finding anyone who knows where Maria might be is mostly luck based. Natasha isn’t lucky this time. She hates not being able to touch her for so long. It’s been three months now. Natasha _misses_ her. She isn’t usually driven by her emotions but she takes her mood out on every ship they come across and every crew member on board. It adds so much blood onto her hands but she doesn’t really care. They find more gold than usual, steal more goods from traders, and sink more naval fleet ships than ever before. Her pirate band becomes even more notorious and even more dangerous. Natasha adds three-hundred gold coins to her bounty. She starts killing officers who try to arrest her.

It’s during one of those that she finds out that Maria is in prison for treason. It makes her blood run cold and she shoots the officer who tells her dead without hesitating. Maria is in prison. Treason means she’ll be hanged soon and Natasha has no idea how long she’s already been locked up. All she does know is that she hasn’t heard any news about recent executions so Maria is still alive. There is no time to waste. Natasha is already in Port Royal at least. That alone makes her certain she can find her in time. She grabs the officer’s gun and stashes it in her belt, and then she’s off to try and sneak into a well-guarded, navy-enforced prison. She’s being a complete fool. They’ll catch her and hang her too. But Maria is in there and that’s all that matters. Natasha is willing to take the risk.

She takes her time to watch the prison and its guards until night time. There is no point in getting herself killed. She makes her move from the darkness. She kills one of the guards at the entrance with her sword and then stabs the other before dragging them both into the thicket. She steals the uniform off the smaller one and puts it on. She’s still far too small to fit into it but she has no other option. It will have to do. She hides her hair and practices her walk. She needs to be able to fit in if she’s going to get anywhere. She waltzes in when she feels confident she can pull it off. Natasha is ready to kill everybody inside to get Maria out and the realization doesn’t even make her pause anymore. She’d rather not have to try to pull that one off. It would complicate everything. Nobody stops her on her way in. A few guards look at her funny but she squares her shoulders and keeps walking. She’s too small to be a guard, too small to even belong into the navy. Her confidence makes the others look past her height. Natasha is actually surprised when she makes it all the way to the jail cells. The only guard there is fast asleep so Natasha steals the keys off his desk and heads down the next corridor to where all the cells are located. She finds Maria in one in the back, looking beaten and tired. Natasha takes her in and feels both relieved and upset at the sight of her. She waits and double checks that the guard is asleep before she says anything.

“Maria.”

Maria’s head snaps up at the sound of her voice and she can’t quite believe what she hears. This place is poorly lit and with the guard’s uniform, Maria has a hard time making her out. At first she just sees another guard but then she looks closer. This one is too small. Natasha’s smirk catches in the light and Maria dares to hope she isn’t imagining her.

“Natasha?” She asks quietly, “You came…”

“Someone has to save your ass.”

“They found out,” Maria says, still barely raising her voice.

“They beat you?” Natasha asks, not bothering to ask what it is they found out. It can wait.

Maria nods. The sound of keys grab her attention again and Natasha eventually finds the one that opens Maria’s cell. She steps inside and crouches down in front of her to check her over. She has a black eye and her eyebrow is split but it’s hard to tell how bad it really is. She frees her from her shackles and then stands again. Maria doesn’t know what to do with any of this. She’s being rescued by a pirate. Again.

“Why are you helping me?”

“I’m not letting you die.”

“Natasha…”

“We can talk once we’re on board the Black Widow.”

She helps Maria up and drags her out of the cell with her. Maria is hurt but she can walk. They get past the sleeping guard easily but quietly. The rest of the building won’t be so easy. There are guards everywhere. Natasha can’t fight for both of them and they can’t avoid all the guards. She has no excuse to be walking a prisoner like that on her own and Maria is too well-known here now to use the same cover as Natasha. She rounds a corner and two guards are walking their way so Natasha immediately backs out again and pulls Maria away.

“Natasha, leave me.”

“I didn’t come here to give up halfway.”

“Natasha-”

“There has to be another way out.”

Maria wants to plead with her. Natasha is being reckless for no good reason and she doesn’t want her to die because of her. The guards are almost at their corner and Natasha ushers Maria back the way they came. There’s another way to take there. They don’t make it in time and the two guards spot them. It doesn’t take them long to realize Maria is an escaped prisoner.

“Halt! What are you doing with that prisoner?”

Natasha turns around and smirks, giving off more confidence than she feels. She pulls off her hat and lets her hair fall down her shoulders. It’s gotten even longer since the last time Maria has seen her. The two men draw their guns instantly at the sight. They recognize Natasha. They shoot at her but miss and Natasha draws her own gun to return fire. Maria takes the spare gun from Natasha’s belt and shoots the other guard. They’re down quickly but the shots have alerted every guard in the vicinity. They’re in a bad spot. Before Natasha can run off again, Maria just about remembers an alternate way out.

“This way,” she says, tugging Natasha along.

They head down another hallway and there is practically no one this way. It’s lucky. They can hear more guards rushing to their location though. They have to hurry. They reach the kitchens and Natasha doesn’t have to try very hard to intimidate the workers there into silence. The women working point to the way out of the building quickly when they realize Natasha and Maria are being followed. They’re out of time and the guards' footsteps are drawing ever closer. Natasha takes Maria’s hand to pull her with her. They follow the pathway outside and then run into the woods. It’s safer in the darkness and the thicket. The guards are still after them and the rustle of their footsteps is easily tracked. Still, Natasha doesn’t stop running until they finally reach the Black Widow. She doesn’t let go of Maria’s hand once. Maria manages to keep up with her despite her injuries. It’s straining and she’s glad when they reach the ship.

As soon as they’re on board, Natasha gives the order to set sail. Her crew does as told but there’s a clear confusion regarding Maria’s presence.

“Worry about it later. We’re leaving before we have the entire fucking fleet on our asses.”

That stops everyone from asking questions and has them working faster. Natasha lets Maria rest in her cabin and has Wanda tend to her while she goes to steer them away from Port Royal. She has the perfect place in mind but it’s almost a week’s worth of sailing, even for the Black Widow. She hands the reigns over so she can go and check up on Maria. She can get some rest herself after that. Wanda is done taking care of Maria already and she leaves them alone after reassuring Natasha that she is okay. Maria is exhausted but not yet asleep when Natasha enters.

“Where are we going?”

“Tortuga. It’ll be safe for you for the time being.”

Maria nods. It’s contradictory to what she’s told her last time but she’s too tired to bother asking about it now. Natasha strips her out of the rest of her now tattered uniform and then looks at the bruises on her body. Maria doesn’t protest. She does wince a few times when Natasha prods the sore spots. The sight makes Natasha angry.

“Nothing is broken,” Maria tells her.

Natasha knows. She nods and makes her lie down. She undresses as well and then slips into the bed next to her to sleep. It’s been a long day after all. Maria turns her head to look at her, terribly unsure of everything right now.

“Natasha?”

Natasha makes a noncommittal sound and shifts to look at her.

“Thank you.”

She makes another small sound that comes close to a huff and then closes her eyes. She waits until she hears Maria’s deep and even breathing before getting any rest herself.

Natasha is already out on the deck when Maria wakes up the next morning. She gets dressed in her torn clothes and then cautiously steps outside. Natasha’s nearby crew give her looks but leave her alone.

“Captain, Captain Hill is here,” Wanda says.

Natasha turns around and grins at Maria to hide the fact that she really just wants to smile at her. Maria steps closer, gives Wanda a respectful and grateful nod, and then looks at Natasha.

“Can we talk?”

Natasha agrees and leaves the helm to her crew so she and Maria can talk in private. They head back into her quarters and Maria stops by the desk, much like the first time she’s been in here. She’s nervous. That’s new. Natasha sits down on her desk and waits.

“I have nothing outside of the royal navy, and now I’ve been branded a traitor. Even if Tortuga is miraculously safe for an ex-navy Captain, what am I supposed to do with myself?”

“You’re smart. You fooled the navy for years. You’ll figure something out. And I never said you had to stay there either. I said you could, if you wanted to.”

Maria frowns, not seeing an alternate option, and Natasha rolls her eyes. Maria is indeed smart but sometimes she really isn’t. Natasha gets off her desk and steps into Maria’s personal space, grinning up at her.

“You can stay on board the Black Widow if you prefer.”

The suggestion makes Maria snort and she looks away from Natasha. The offer is genuine. That’s the problem. Natasha wants her to stay. She grasps Maria’s chin in her hand and makes her face her once more. Her grin is gone from her face. Maria holds her breath.

“Stay with me.”

“I can’t. I’m not a pirate, and I’m not a slave.”

Natasha glares at the suggestion of Maria being her slave but she holds her tongue before saying something she’ll regret. She has something else in mind.

“How about a queen then?”

Maria stares at her blankly, confusion evident on her face. Natasha leans closer to brush her lips against hers. She does it a second time when Maria doesn’t stop her.

“I rule the seas, and I want you to be my queen, Maria.”

“I…”

“Think about it,” Natasha says, pulling back again to put some distance between them, “You should decide by the time we reach land.”

Natasha is about to leave again when Maria reaches out to grasp her wrist. It stops Natasha in her tracks.

“Why did you rescue me?”

“Do you really want to know?” Natasha challenges, “Or will knowing make you run away?”

“Natasha-”

“Ask what you really want to know. But in return, I want to know your decision.”

Maria lets go of her at that. She needs time to think about this. Natasha watches her for a few more moments and she’s ready to leave when she remembers something.

“What did they find out?”

“About you, and that I’m a woman.”

Natasha nods, thinking about it for a few moments. She finally leaves a long minute later. Maria follows her out eventually and she seeks out some of the crew to talk. They’re all friendly with her but it’s weird for everyone that she’s here.

They don’t talk about their conversation for the next couple of days. Maria is welcome when they all eat together and she takes the chance to get to know them all a little better over the food and drinks. It’s a lot more relaxed this way compared to when she speaks to them during the day. She pauses in her food consumption at the tales of Natasha killing more and makes a small noise when they tell her how much gold and treasure they’ve gotten their hands on in the past few months. It’s impressive to say the least.

“Her bounty went up by three-hundred pieces.”

Natasha can feel Maria’s eyes on her and she smirks her way. She’s proud of it, naturally. She is a pirate after all. A higher bounty on her head just means good things for her. It’s the highest bounty in their part of the world right now.

When they retire after dinner on the fourth day, Maria follows her into her quarters right away. They’re still a couple days away from land and she knows she needs to decide soon. She’s thought about it plenty.

“Natasha. Are you… Do you love me?”

Natasha turns her head with another one of her trademark smirks but it doesn’t reach her eyes. This one is just for show. The question means Maria has likely made her decision or she’s just about to. Either way, Natasha’s answer will still influence it.

It’s funny to think she’s in love. It makes sense of a lot of things but she doesn’t know many pirates who have ever truly been in love. None have fallen for the enemy, that much Natasha knows for sure. It makes her want to laugh. She’s the worst of them all and she fell hard for the only woman in the royal navy.

“Aye.”

Maria hasn’t been expecting that. She’s hoped but she hadn’t dared to think it might be true. She stares at her and Natasha waits it out. She isn’t this honest often and it’s an incredibly stupid thing to admit to out loud. At the same time, she did essentially storm a prison to rescue her from being executed. That’s not even remotely the same thing as making sure she lives after being shipwrecked.

“Then I will stay.”

Natasha smirks and this time it is a genuine one. She crowds into her personal space again. She loves doing that.

“Say it.”

Maria kisses her instead, her hands coming up to cup her cheeks. Natasha kisses her back. She pulls her to the bed and pushes her down on it to climb into her lap.

“Say it,” she repeats, biting her neck hard enough to make her squirm.

“Fuck, Natasha. I love you,” Maria moans, “Shit. I’ll be your fucking queen. Just let me be with you.”

Natasha laughs against her throat and she licks her way up until she can once again sink her teeth into that jawline she loves so much.

“You can fuck them all over for what they did to you. Nobody’s holding you back as a pirate. You can do whatever the fuck you want. You don’t have to hide to fit in with me.”

Natasha wouldn’t have to wait weeks or months to see and touch her again. She doesn’t say that though. She keeps that little bit of selfishness to herself.

“I already said yes.”

Natasha pushes her down and moves so she can get her pants off and Maria shuffles enough to help. She gets Natasha out of her coat and shirt and pants as well and then the rest of their clothes follow. They end up in one messy pile on the floor. Maria pulls her back on top of her and Natasha wastes no time to kiss her. Her fingers roam across her skin, not terribly mindful of the bruises. Maria is grateful and voices no complaints. The pain is grounding in a way and reassures her that this is real. She lets her own hands wander down to Natasha’s ass to make her grind down against her.

Natasha rolls her hips against her thigh and pushes her tongue into Maria’s mouth to deepen the kiss. A moan follows and Natasha is scratching at Maria’s neck. She wants more. Maria does too. She moves her hands from her ass to slide one between her legs and Natasha instinctively grinds down against it. Natasha moves one of her own hands down to do the same to Maria. They’re both turned on and wet and Natasha is the first to push her fingers into Maria. Maria lets out a low growl and returns the favor. It’s been too long. Her fingers bury deep inside Natasha and they’re both just grinding against each other’s touches. Natasha sets a harder pace than Maria but Maria works her fingers faster.

In the end, they come at almost the same time, moaning and shaking. Natasha collapses on top of Maria and pants into her shoulder. They both pull out of the other and catch their breaths.

“Am I going to be sleeping here?”

“Aye,” Natasha draws out, “A queen should get the best place on the ship. Obviously that’s my bed.”

Maria laughs a little and Natasha pushes herself up enough to smirk at her.

“Are you the king of the seas then?”

“I thought that much was obvious?”

“I thought you were the queen.”

Natasha shrugs, amused. It’s all the same to her. Maria can be the king if she really wants to be.

“I’ll let the girls know you’re staying in the morning. This isn’t a free pass. You need to help out, same as everybody else.”

Maria nods her agreement. That’s only fair. She doesn’t want any special treatment anyway. Natasha is going to tell everyone when she wakes up. For now, she’s far too lazy to move and she’s tired and exhausted. She doesn’t know how they will all take it but she does know one thing: Maria will make an excellent pirate.

* * *

The news go over well and they still sail to Tortuga to get Maria some new clothes and to celebrate the addition to the crew. Maria is no longer a part of the royal navy. She’s a pirate now. She still hates most of them but this band of all women is different and she loves Natasha.

The first month is a lot of adjusting for Maria. Things aren’t that different, all considering, but it is still a drastic change. The shares are better than the money she’s made with the navy and it has nothing to do with her relationship with Natasha. It’s nice and she takes to being a pirate. She enjoys it. She lets her hair grow out for the first time in years. Natasha likes it. It’s largely thanks to Natasha that she enjoys her time with them so much, and partly due to not having to hide her gender away anymore. She’s powerful and strong and she is proud to be a woman at sea. She wants everyone to know. It also helps that she’s worth more on board the Black Widow than she’s ever felt with the navy. She’s respected and she doesn’t have to constantly prove herself.

She makes a name for herself and it doesn’t take long before she has a bounty on her head as well. It’s a strange thing that she feels but Natasha is proud and so they celebrate with drinks and sex.

It still takes her months to be fully comfortable with every aspect of being a pirate. The thrill she feels from plundering ships and taking down the navy is unlike anything she’s ever experienced.

Within the next year, every pirate and navy officer knows them as the king and queen of the seas and Natasha happily shares her rule with Maria. It just isn’t the same to rule alone when she has someone so worthy with her.

“Maria?” Natasha asks one day.

“Aye?”

Natasha chuckles softly. She loves the switch; she loves all the small things Maria is doing now that she’s a pirate.

“I’m a ship captain.”

“You are. And?”

Natasha sits at her desk and looks at Maria. She’s not nervous. She _isn’t_. Natasha knows what she wants, and it’s a lifetime with Maria.

“I can wed us.”

Maria drops the mug she’s holding and it shatters on the floor. She stares at Natasha with wide eyes. That’s not something she’s ever considered. Not just with Natasha but in general. Marriage was never in her plans.

“We’re both women.”

“I don’t care. You’re already my queen.”

“Aye,” Maria whispers, smiling.

It’s as much an agreement to the statement as it is an acceptance of her unasked question. Natasha smiles at her. She’s happy too. She walks over to her and kisses her.

“I love you,” Maria smiles.

Natasha hums and kisses her again. She’s looking forward to making it happen; to have Maria with her for the rest of her life, as her wife. Maria thinks joining Natasha has been the best decision of her life. She can’t wait to make Natasha her wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm always open to getting suggestions/prompts over on my  tumblr!


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